A Las Vegas homeowner was taken to the hospital with minor burns to both of his arms after a fire got out of control on his patio from a barbecue early Thursday evening. The fire did minor damage to the home, mostly on the outside. Two people are displaced because of the fire.

Fire dispatchers received numerous calls at 6:56 p.m. that a fire had spread to a patio cover behind a home at 5913 Mount Auburn St. (Bradley/CC-215). When firefighters arrived, heavy flames were visible from the rear of the one-story wood frame/stucco house.

Firefighters found the barbecue on fire as well as some patio furniture and the aluminum awning over the patio was melting onto the patio. There were two windows on the rear of the house leading to the living room and firefighters wanted to keep the fire from entering the home.

They were able to bring the fire under control in a few minutes and kept the fire outside the house.

Damage was confined mostly to the patio area with two windows broken out on the rear of the house and minor smoke damage to the inside of the house. Damage was estimated at $15,000.

The elderly couple that lives in the house told fire investigators that they were using the barbecue when heavy flames started coming out the bottom of the unit, something that is not usually seen. The flames must have melted the gas line from the propane tank to the burners feeding more propane on the fire which grew more intense. The fire spread to some patio furniture nearby including a sofa. The rising heat and flames caused the aluminum patio cover to melt and contribute to the fire. Firefighters arrived shortly after and quickly brought the fire under control. Fire investigators believe there was some sort of malfunction with the barbecue, but because of the intensity of the fire, the unit was destroyed and an exact cause of the fire could not be determined..

The man who lives in the house tried to use a fire extinguisher on the fire, but the fire was too intense. In the process the heat from the fire caused first degree burns to both forearms, similar to sunburn. He was taken to the hospital for observation and to treat the burns. His injury was not life threatening.

The couple are temporarily displaced and will be staying with friends as they make arrangements to get their home repaired.